Margaret McCown Liles' commentary

Memories

I attended tonight’s forum for the mayoral and city council races at the First United Methodist Church in Escondido tonight, and will write my impressions of the event later this week. But tonight’s appearance by newcomer to the race for the councilmember for Escondido District Two, Nicole Downey, brought back memories I would like to share. I don’t know what John Masson ever did to Downey, but I don’t think she likes him very much. I wrote a piece that was published in the North County Times back in November of 2012 when Masson was first appointed to the City Council. The one who accused him of being drunk and jumping into a pool, naked, was Nicole Downey. She made similar accusations tonight. But this was one of my better efforts—would like to refer you to the original piece in the North County Times, but all the old issues of that paper were “disappeared” when the San Diego Union Tribune took over, and dissolved it. So here is my copy:

Except for the accusation that one applicant for the council seat vacated by Marie Waldron had once, while drunk at a party, stripped naked, flipped off his audience, and jumped into a swimming pool, things went pretty much as expected at Wednesday’s Escondido City Council meeting.

Fateful agenda item 13, “Discussion and possible action or appointment to fill council vacancy,” began with statements from the applicants, even though Mayor Sam Abed and Councilman Mike Morasco preferred to get the bothersome comments from the public out of the way first. Councilwoman Olga Diaz was able to point out the logic of starting with the applicants.

Their comments about their backgrounds, concerns, and views included: strengthening Escondido’s infrastructure, praise of the current Council, need to increase revenue, praise of the current Council, eligibility due to being a 10th generation American, praise of the current Council, view from a new resident, being a third generation Escondidan, praise of the current Council, and need for graffiti removal. Several had strong resumes, including the two favorites, John Masson, the anointed Chamber of Commerce candidate, and Don Greene, the third highest vote getter in the November election. But, I found the most compelling speaker to be someone who wasn’t a candidate, Miranda Griffith, who spoke for her mother, Carmen Miranda. I’d like to see Griffith on the City Council.

Then the public spoke. The speakers who pleaded for either a special election for filling Waldron’s seat or the appointment of Don Greene, were intermingled with the “suits” who spoke for John Masson. The one surprise was a comment from highly respected Escondido historian, Carol Rae, that perhaps the appointment of Don Green would balance the Council between the interests of the business community and ordinary citizens.

Mayor Abed quoted the laws giving the council the right to select Waldron’s replacement.

Diaz suggested that the law was the minimum of what the civic obligation of their council should be. She urged her colleagues to suspend their haste, glean the most eligible from the list of applicants, hold a public forum where these applicants could be questioned by Escondido’s citizens, and then decide.

Morasco smugly asserted that any vote for him was also a vote to fill Marie Waldron sainted seat with someone with her values. It was Marie Waldron who initiated Escondido’s infamous proposals to make landlords immigration agents, and to restrict parking in order to discourage extended (read Latino) families from occupying a single family houses.

Councilman Ed Gallo argued that never before had an appointed council member been the third highest vote getter. Diaz noted that mindless adherence to the past meant that there could never be change for the good.

Gallo moved to appoint Masson. Hearing no second, Abed seconded the motion. The motion carried with Diaz voting no. The good ole boys won again, but for how long? Latino citizens have begun to organize. The times they are a changing, and the good ole boys aren’t going to be ready.

A group of dedicated volunteers rescued the North County Times Newspapers before escrow closed. I was one who weekly sorted through them for over two years at the Pioneer Room where they are now filed.

What this blog is about

Like many communities, Escondido has lost any semblance of a local newspaper. The North County Times , was not exactly a progressive publication, but it did have one great democratic feature—it published all letters to the editor, that weren’t libelous or abusive. When that paper was purchased by Manchester, and was combined with what is now the UT San Diego, I felt as though I had lost a good friend. The changing of Union Tribune to UT pretty much says it all about the change in San Diego County’s newspaper—heaven forbid any connection with labor unions!

I’m a recovering Republican. In 1992, Pat Buchannan made it clear that people like me, who were pro-choice, agnostic, and believed that decisions of government should be based on science and reason, not patriarchal mythology, were not welcome in the Republican Party. Changing one’s political party takes some thinking—in my case, eight years of thinking. Never was very quick on the uptake. Finally, I changed my registration in order to vote for Bill Bradley in 2000.

During the last twenty years before the loss of the North County Times, I was able to vent my political views in letters to the editor, and the occasional op-ed. Others seemed to appreciate my views. As the letters to the editor/op-ed route is no longer an option, I have started this blog to publish my views.

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